Joint Conditions Specialist

What are joint conditions?

Joint conditions are diseases and injuries that affect your joints, which are where two or more bones connect. Many of your joints are mobile, including your knees, hips, elbows, ankles, shoulders, and wrists. Joint conditions can affect single joints or many at the same time. 

Some of the most common joint conditions are:

Arthritis

Arthritis encompasses a group of conditions that cause inflammation in joints. The most common types of over 100 different varieties are rheumatoid arthritis, which is an autoimmune condition, and osteoarthritis, or wear-and-tear of the joints. 

Bursitis

Bursitis is inflammation of the bursa, the fluid-filled sac surrounding and cushioning a joint.

Joint dislocations

Joint dislocations are injuries that happen when the bones of a joint are forced out of alignment. 

What are some common symptoms of joint conditions?

If you have a joint condition or injury, it’s likely that you’ll experience joint pain as a result. However, joint pain is not always the sole symptom of a joint condition. Conditions such as arthritis, bursitis, and joint dislocations can also cause:

• Inflammation and swelling
• Stiffness
• Limited range of motion
• Clicking or popping when you move your joints
• Redness

With conditions like arthritis, the pain and stiffness is often at its worst in the mornings. When you come to Legacy Orthopaedics for a diagnosis and treatment for joint conditions, Dr. Riley asks you to describe your symptoms in detail before he provides tests. He also goes over your medical history to find clues of what might be causing your joint pain. 

To diagnose you or confirm your diagnosis of a joint condition, Dr. Riley may use imaging tests like X-rays to view the inside of your painful joint or joints. 

How are joint conditions treated?

At Legacy Orthopaedics, Dr. Riley has extensive training in treating all types of joint conditions and can offer a treatment plan tailored specifically to meet your needs. He uses the latest evidence-based therapies in orthopedic medicine and works with you through your physical rehabilitation to make sure you can use the joint to the best of its ability. 

Your treatment plan depends on your diagnosis and the joint that the condition affects. Dr. Riley treats joint conditions with treatments such as:

• Shoulder resurfacing
• Cartilage preservation procedures
• Platelet-rich plasma (PRP)
• Stem cell therapy
• Partial joint replacement surgery
• Total joint replacement surgery
• Viscosupplementation
• Corticosteroid injections
• Physical therapy

Joint surgeries don’t always have to be open surgeries. Instead, Dr. Riley often uses arthroscopic surgery, which is minimally invasive and requires small incisions instead of singular large incisions. Minimally invasive surgeries like arthroscopy involve lower recovery times, less post-surgery pain, and less scarring. 

In some cases, Dr. Riley performs robotic surgery, which gives him extra precision and control while treating joint conditions. 

If you experience joint pain or other symptoms that may indicate a joint condition, call Legacy Orthopaedics for an appointment or book online today.